President Joe Biden has officially called off his final international trip just hours before he was set to leave for Rome and the Vatican. The decision comes as he remains in Washington to oversee the efforts to combat devastating wildfires in California.
Biden was scheduled to depart on Thursday after delivering a eulogy for former President Jimmy Carter during a memorial service in Washington. His intended three-day visit aimed to meet with Pope Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, along with a crucial meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This trip was meant to mark a significant conclusion to Biden’s presidency and an opportunity to reinforce the resilience and strength of American alliances before he exits the White House on January 20.
The anticipated meeting between Biden and Zelenskyy would have been an important moment for discussions about the future for Ukraine, especially with the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump increasing uncertainties regarding U.S. support for Ukraine amidst its ongoing struggle against Russian aggression.
While the meeting had not been publicly confirmed by the White House, a U.S. official revealed that the two leaders had made arrangements to meet in Rome on Friday.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago, the Biden administration has committed over $65 billion in military aid to Ukraine, which included an announcement of $500 million in arms expected to come earlier this week. However, there remains less than $4 billion that is still authorized by Congress for Ukraine, with much of it likely transitioning to the Trump administration to determine future support.
The incoming president, Trump, has historically maintained a controversial relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, often questioning the scale of aid directed to Ukraine. Recently, Trump’s comments have cast doubt on the reliability of future U.S. assistance as he echoed Putin’s sentiments that Ukraine should not be a part of NATO. He has also been critical of the Biden administration’s backing of Ukraine’s aspirations to join the military alliance.
During the NATO summit in July, member states acknowledged that Ukraine’s path toward NATO membership is “irreversible.” Still, most nations, including the U.S., have indicated that Ukraine cannot become a member while it is in the midst of a conflict, avoiding any commitments regarding timelines for membership.
In a recent statement, Trump expressed his views, saying, “A significant part of the issue is that Russia has long insisted Ukraine must not be associated with NATO. Yet Biden contradicted that by saying Ukraine should be allowed to join NATO, which raises tensions on Russia’s borders.”
Biden’s cancellation of the trip was announced mere hours after he returned from Los Angeles, where he had met his first great-grandchild born the previous day. He took time to receive briefings from local fire officials regarding the wildfires while witnessing the impact of smoke and ash in the skies of the area.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that upon returning from Los Angeles, where he had met with emergency responders addressing the ongoing fires, Biden decided to forgo his trip to Italy to concentrate on the federal response in the upcoming days. The Palisades fire, which ignited on Tuesday morning, coincided with Biden’s visit to California and forced him to cancel a planned announcement regarding two new national monuments. As Biden traveled back to Washington, he approved a federal Major Disaster declaration for Los Angeles County, which makes federal funding available for temporary housing, home repairs, and low-interest loans to cover uninsured property damages. The declaration also allocates financial aid to local and state governments to assist in dealing with the fire crisis.
